Behind the push to make smoking and vaping illegal for a generation of Canadians

Canada is grappling with a push to prohibit smoking and vaping for the next generation of Canadians. Currently, it is illegal for individuals under 18 to purchase tobacco products in the country. However, activists are advocating for an even stricter policy that would prevent anyone born after 2008 from legally purchasing cigarettes or vaping products altogether.

Similar legislation is set to take effect in the United Kingdom in January, where a ban will be imposed on anyone born after 2008 purchasing cigarettes. Sarah Sleet, CEO of Asthma + Lung U.K., noted that there is strong public support for this move in Britain, but it required decades of lobbying and advocacy.

The proposed bill in Canada initially included vaping products, but the final version focuses solely on smoking. Supporters argue that vaping can lead to a higher likelihood of future tobacco use among young people. Jessica Buckley, president and CEO of the Lung Health Foundation, stated that vapers are three and a half times more likely to smoke tobacco in the future.

Opponents of the ban, such as Eric Gagnon, vice-president of regulatory affairs for Imperial Tobacco Canada, contend that prohibiting smoking does not align with the tobacco industry's goals. Gagnon pointed out that Canada has already legalized and regulated cannabis, despite research showing that smoking and vaping cannabis can be harmful, and warned that a ban could fuel a black market.

Convenience store retailers also oppose the ban, citing concerns about the illicit market's links to organized crime. Jeff Brownlee, vice-president of communications for the Convenience Industry Council of Canada, called for a national strategy to combat contraband tobacco.

Research from the United Kingdom suggests that raising the smoking age from 16 to 18 in 2007 and 2008 resulted in a 25% reduction in illicit cigarette consumption. The British government estimates that smoking costs $5.6 billion annually in health and social services and another $32 billion in broader economic costs. In Canada, the estimated public cost of tobacco use is $11.2 billion yearly, with around 46,000 deaths annually from tobacco-related illnesses.

Advocates plan to lobby the federal government in Canada to support a generational tobacco ban, emphasizing the potential cost savings in healthcare and the strong public support for such a measure. The federal government collected $2.6 billion in tobacco excise tax revenue in 2024, and Canada has a national strategy to reduce tobacco use to five percent of the population by 2035, currently standing at about 11 percent.